MSE Parents Club Part 14

got-it-spend-it

tiamai_d wrote: »

Firstly, congratulations!!!!

At 4 days its not unusual to get nowt when expressing. How is she when the pump is going? Can you express from one side and feed from the other?

Breast massage does help.

But really all you can do is keep trying and it should get better over the next few days.

Hopefully someone else can add more, I'm busy studying right now and just don't have time (sorry).

Girls, can someone offer some early days expressing tips? PLEASE!!!

Congratulations Ethelsmum and sir monster.

I was by no means a pro-pumper but I've done my fair share of BFing- things I found helpful were eat and drink plenty. Oats in particular are helpful for milk production so stock up on flapjacks and porridge. Everytime you put baby to the breast you are stimulating milk production, likewise everytime you pump even if it feels like you're not getting much. I agree with Tia that breast compression/massage do make a difference too.

Sir monster- I must confess that my little milk monster fed two hourly through the day until he started on solids, but he did start to go longer at night when he got to about ten weeks. They do get more efficient though so feeds take much less time. Most babies do tend to go to 3-4 hours between BFs, my son is/was just a gannet. It can seem like you are forever feeding them, but it doesn't last forever.


Christmas pressies- last year H was 5 weeks old at Christmas and we bought him a First Christmas teddy, a couple of tops and a set of stacking cups (that he still loves). Very MSE. We have been a bit more extravagant this year, but not hugely so. I guess we have spent less than £50 on his bday and another £50 on Christmas.

My_Fathers_Daughter

Hiya ladies - sorry, having a bad day here but clocked a few newbies.

BF advice is learn to feed laying down. It is the thing that kept me going and loads of mums on here will agree, crack the laying down thing and nighttimes become a WHOLE load easier.

Congratulations ethelsmum we don't often get newbies in so early, 4 days in is prime baby blues territory - hope you are doing okay xx


sir monster - a month is really early to be expressing if you are feeding too...things settle down a bit from about 6 weeks

gill_81uk

Sir Monster - my little man (also a Thomas!) feeds 2 hourly if not more if we stay in the house, but if we go out and about he can easily go 4 hours. He can also go 4 hours if we have people in the house to entertain him. However it does get much much quicker so it doesn't feel as bad. We tend to do a good feed in 15 minutes now.

No real advice on early expressing - kitkat might be a good one to ask as she has done it from the off. I found I couldnt get into it properly until T was about 8 10 weeks old and would sleep from 8-4, giving me plenty of time. The things that I find help now (all from here!) are put a warm flannel on bbs 1st, massage, look at a photo/photos of T while I'm doing it and massage while I'm doing it if it stops flowing quickly.

ETA I agree that 6 weeks is the magic number, things suddenly got much easier for me then and I've had friends say the same. Also try and do something while you're bfing like come online or read a book or watch tv. It was being able to come online and do productive things like surveys that made it much easier for me. I don't have time now coz I can't do the longer surveys in the time it takes him to feed!

salesshopper

Hi Newbies - Congratulations and welcome

Sami_Bee

Expressing advice http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=29652797&postcount=4312
I'll stick this in the 2nd post from now on too

sir_monster

Thanks for the advice and welcomes currently bfing again, its amazing u learn to do things with one hand. I do bfing lying down some night feeds and a chair in spare room with tv for the night feeds is amazing what rubbish you watch at 3 or 4 in the morning. I want to express this week as my parents are visiting and going out for a meal so don't want to get my baps out in a restaurant in front of them, plus I would like a drink but won't put major pressure on myself. Good to hear gets better at 6 wks, will be better for me too as then i can drive, as i had a c section so can get out more too.

gill_81uk

It's not for everyone Sir M but in the early weeks I gave T the odd feed using the little cartons of forumla. I got SMA and it was 53p for 250 ml so did 2 feeds. I found just having one in the house liberating and took the pressure off even if I didn't use it! I think bought 3 altogether and I've still got one left! It gave me the freedom to have a night out when I coudln't get enough through expressing, and a much needed lie in!

My_Fathers_Daughter

sir_monster wrote: »

Thanks for the advice and welcomes currently bfing again, its amazing u learn to do things with one hand. I do bfing lying down some night feeds and a chair in spare room with tv for the night feeds is amazing what rubbish you watch at 3 or 4 in the morning. I want to express this week as my parents are visiting and going out for a meal so don't want to get my baps out in a restaurant in front of them, plus I would like a drink but won't put major pressure on myself. Good to hear gets better at 6 wks, will be better for me too as then i can drive, as i had a c section so can get out more too.

I just used to grab Benjamin and stick him in the bed to feed...quite often doze whilst he was feeding...and when he was done (or when I 'woke up') stick him back in his cot.

I can't remember when I started expressing, perhaps around the 6 week mark and to start with I got very little...but then Benjamin didn't drink much at that stage.

You soon get used to getting your baps out in public!!! Well, you get used to feeding in public and being discrete enough to not flash your nipples to the world! Thinking about what you are wearing (vest tops under baggier tops are good - top layer up, bottom layer down - easy access with no gaping mummy tummy!) and where you sit (a quiet corner with your back to the room) are good tips.

Ultimately discretely feeding your child is much less embarrassing than having your hungry baby scream the place down IMHO.

xx

gill_81uk

I still wear the bump bands that I wore while pg to save me flashing my mummy tummy!

My_Fathers_Daughter

gill_81uk wrote: »

It's not for everyone Sir M but in the early weeks I gave T the odd feed using the little cartons of forumla. I got SMA and it was 53p for 250 ml so did 2 feeds. I found just having one in the house liberating and took the pressure off even if I didn't use it! I think bought 3 altogether and I've still got one left! It gave me the freedom to have a night out when I coudln't get enough through expressing, and a much needed lie in!

I once got slated at a Booby Club for saying 'formula is not failure' :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

But I totally believe it - there is this big snobbery that BF mothers shouldn't 'resort' to the odd carton - I did on occasion, didn't harm my milk production or my baby